X-rays are negative for Puig, Ramirez, but both are sore

July 21, 2014

Updated July 22, 2014 8:50 p.m.

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A.J. Ellis was the latest Dodger to get hit by a pitch, taking a slow curveball to the head in the second inning against the Pirates. He wasn't hurt and stayed in the game. JUSTIN K. ALLER, GETTY IMAGES

A.J. Ellis was the latest Dodger to get hit by a pitch, taking a slow curveball to the head in the second inning against the Pirates. He wasn't hurt and stayed in the game. JUSTIN K. ALLER, GETTY IMAGES

PITTSBURGH – Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig couldn’t dodge pitches. But the Dodgers seem to have dodged a couple bullets.

Neither Ramirez nor Puig was available Monday after being hit in the hand by pitches during the weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Puig was hit in the left hand by Joe Kelly on Saturday and has missed two games.

Ramirez, meanwhile, was hit in the left shoulder by a 98-mph fastball from Carlos Martinez and the left hand by a 99-mph fastball from Trevor Rosenthal during Sunday's game. Fluoroscans of both players' hands in St. Louis showed no fractures.

Follow up X-rays taken in Pittsburgh on Monday were also negative – which made Dodgers manager Don Mattingly feel positive.

“Everything was negative with the X-rays which makes us feel better as far as any long-term, four-week type thing,” he said. “But it doesn’t really change the fact that both guys are sore and have some swelling in there. We have to get that out of there before they can handle the bat the way they want to.

“It’s a matter of waiting for them to be ready.”

Neither Puig nor Ramirez took batting practice. Mattingly wouldn’t speculate on whether either would be available Tuesday.

“We didn’t have those guys today. We’ll see where we are tomorrow,” Mattingly said.

The Dodgers weren’t safe in the batter’s box Monday night, either. Catcher A.J. Ellis was hit in the helmet by a pitch that got away from Pirates starter Edinson Volquez in the second inning. It was a 73 mph curveball, however, and Ellis remained in the game.

“Just a curveball,” Ellis said after the game. “That’s why we wear helmets.”

BACK TO RIGHT

Just three days after he reiterated his belief that “I’m a center fielder,” Matt Kemp was – back in right field.

The start in right was Kemp’s first since the 2009 season when he made seven starts there. It was a consequence of Puig’s unavailability to play right – and Mattingly’s clear preference for anyone to play defense in center field instead of Kemp.

“It is what it is right now. Let’s just leave it at that,” Mattingly said, making it clear he has tired of justifying his outfield decisions to the media on a daily basis.

Mattingly said he spoke with Kemp about the temporary assignment. In talking about his hope to return to being an everyday center fielder, Kemp said he felt more comfortable in right field than left because he had played there more often early in his career. He called left field the most difficult outfield position to play.

Mattingly acknowledged his discomfort.

“It’s really the combination of guys I have that changes what I do,” Mattingly said. “Matt all along has been more reluctant in left than anywhere else. That’s where he’s most uncomfortable.

“We don’t ask him to be perfect. We ask him to do his best with an understanding that if it’s not perfect it’s not necessarily his fault. All we’re asking for is his best effort. That’s with anybody in any spot we put them in. If we put a guy in any spot and he hasn’t really had a chance to do a lot of work, we know there’s a chance of it not being perfect. At that point, it’s not really his fault. … I think we have to be willing to live with the results we get – again, as long as we get a guy’s best effort.”

Mattingly said he hadn’t given much thought to how long he might ask Kemp to play right field because “I don’t feel like it’s going to get long” before Puig returns.

NOTES

Mattingly confirmed that right-hander Josh Beckett will be activated from the DL and start Tuesday’s game against the Pirates. Beckett has been out because of a hip injury since July 6. …

After taking Sunday off, Chone Figgins continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday. He was scheduled to play nine innings at shortstop in his fourth game with the Isotopes. Figgins was 3 for 6 with four walks in his first three games. Mattingly said it is unlikely Figgins would be activated from the DL until next week.

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